Politics & Government
Glendale Votes to Impose Contract on GWP Workers
A large crowd of IBEW workers and representatives was on hand to air their displeasure with the city.
Hundreds of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers reps. and GWP employees packed the Glendale City Hall, Tuesday, to hear the city council vote in favor of ending the impasse and impose a contract on the GWP.
The contract will cover the terms of the city's Last, Best and Final offer made in March of 2012. It includes a base salary reduction of 1.75 percent, payment of 75 percent of the increase in medical insurance premiums, modification of the existing 35 percent Standby Assignment to a flat rate and the elimination of Merit Step, replacing it with Step 9 in salary range.
Officials said that 3/4 of the city's operational expenditures are personnel related and the Last, Best and Final offer would save approximately $246,639 annually.
The median gross salary for a GWP worker was $93,045 in 2012, with over 1/3 of the membership grossing over $100,000, officials said.
Tuesday's vote, four in favor and one abstention, had only been done once before in the city's history, according to Matt Doyle, director of human resources.
"The process of impasse and, more importantly, the imposition of a proposal involving reductions is indeed controversial and something that many of our outstanding city employees represented by IBEW will find upsetting," Doyle said.
Upsetting would be an understatement.
Two members of the IBEW, including a former GWP employee, spoke out against the contract and city council. One of the speakers was Gus Corona, senior business manager for IBEW Local 18.
"The more we tried to negotiate with this city, the more we realize it's not about the money. It's philosophical. It's more about trying to bust the union," Corona said. "We reached out to a couple of you guys. The mistake that we made was that we trusted you guys. Never again."
After months of negotiations, Glendale officials declared an impasse on April 10 of last year. The city and the IBEW exchanged no less than 11 proposals over 21 sessions of negotiations. Post-impasse meetings were held with little progress.
The two entities began negotiations in June 2011 on an initial Memorandum of Understanding.
The IBEW sought immediate compensation increases retroactive to July 1, 2011, based on salary surveys of four other IBEW agencies, officials said. The union was also firm on opposing additional PERS cost-sharing by employees.
The city had stated they could not accommodate the IBEW's terms as Glendale is experiencing a $15.4 million deficit in 2012-13. Glendale Water and Power is in the hole $10.8 million, officials said. The city had sought no COLA increases and further cost-sharing with PERS and health benefits.
Glendale officials have worked with other bargaining units on their respective MOUs to address budgetary challenges.
Since 2010-11, the Glendale Management Association agreed to pay a 2.5 percent employee contribution to PERS; the Glendale Police Officers' Association agreed to a 2 percent pay reduction; the Glendale Fire Fighters' Association twice agreed to defer a cost of living adjustment, from 2009, to 2013 and increased PERS cost-sharing by 2 percent.
"It is fitting that you witnessed Mr. Corona leave the chambers … that in and of itself is a microcosm of what our negotiations have been going back for nearly two years," said Scott Ochoa, Glendale city manager. "We have agreements with all of our other association groups to make sure that the city remains a viable ongoing community."
The contract will take effect May 16.
"When you guys are long gone, faded out in history … we will still be here. We will continue to do our job," Corona said.
